Save me from the nothing I've become
by XxJohanxJudaixX
Summary: Three years after graduation, and Juudai's mysterious disappearance, Johan and his other friends have moved on with their lives. But when Juudai returns, their normal lives are placed in jeopardy. Can they save him from the monster he's become?
1. In the Rain

Helloooo! I'm back from Hiatus! Sorry for the delay, I will have updated my other stories by the end of the week. Apologies once again!

**Chapter One**: In the Rain.

_**Rating**_: M – For blood, violence, swearing and angst.

_**Pairing(s)**_: JohanXJuudai

_**Genre**_: Horror/Romance

_**Summary**_: Takes place in the aftermath of the ending of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX and the beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 5Ds. Juudai returns from his adventures around the world, but he's changed. When a broken, twisted shell of the brown-eyed duellist returns to Tokyo, and with nightmares and visions haunting him both awake and in sleep, his friends become concerned for both his and their mental sanity. Who, or more likely what, has damaged him, and what can Johan and Juudai's friends do to save him?

The telephone's shrill bell rang through the silence of the house, startling its owner, a certain Gem-duellist – Johan Andersen – so greatly, that the boy swore loudly in Norwegian, and promptly fell out of the bed. After picking himself up of his bedroom floor, Johan stumbled groggily out of the room, to the landing, where the incessant ringing of that wretched telephone continued to pound his sleep-deprived brain that was still suffering from its rude awakening. Muttering obscenities under his breath, he wrenched the phone from its bracket, silencing the noise that had irritated him so.

Bringing the mouthpiece up towards his face, he spoke into it, in a half-moan, half-irritated shriek. "Yes? Johan Andersen speaking. What the hell do you want at this hour?"

"Johan-kun…" a woman's voice vibrated through the mouthpiece.

He blinked, startled out of his anger. "A-Asuka? That you?"

"Yes," and sadness filled her voice "It's been a while, hasn't it Johan-kun"

He gave a half-laugh, and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "A while? Hell, it's been **three years** since we last spoke! How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied quietly "but I have some news…You…might want to sit down."

"Wha-what? Asuka what's going on?"

"Johan-kun please! Listen to me! Please sit down!" came her distressed answer through the receiver.

"Okay…okay Asuka" Johan slowly made his over to his sofa, and sat.

He heard her take a shuddery breath "Last night…he came back…No warning, no message…he just…**appeared**…at my front door."

"Who, Asuka? Who came back"

She burst into tears "Juudai!"

Johan sat there. Stunned, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. "…What…?" he whispered. "…Juudai…?"

"Yes…! But something's not right with him! Please Johan-kun, I'm begging you. Help Juudai! Please!"

"Wh-what's wrong…with him?"

She drew in a ragged breath "I think its best you see for yourself…" she wept.

The line cut, and the house was filled with the shrill beeping that signalled a cut line. Johan didn't notice. The receiver dropped out of his hand and clattered to the floor.

"No…no way…this can't be real!"

He bolted back to his room and pulled on the first clothes he could get his hands on. He literally sprinted to the front door, and, just as he was about to open it, he felt the smallest of nagging feelings. A feeling that he'd forgotten something. Something important. _Ah! My deck!_ He hurtled back into his room, and swiped his deck off the bedside table.

He hadn't played Duel Monsters for nearly two years now, but it had become too habitual to not carry it around with him. Without his deck he felt vulnerable and alone, so, although his duel disk lay under a layer of dust at the bottom of his wardrobe, he still talked to his duel spirits everyday without fail, and continued to look for their advice at times when, there seemed no answer.

As he ran desperately through the sheets of rain that pummelled his skin like thousands of needles, his duel spirit Ruby Carbuncle materialized onto his shoulder.

'_Rubii Bii?'_ The small cat licked her Master's cheek.

He turned to face her. "Hey Ruby"

'_Rubii_?'

"No, girl, I'm not okay…But you'll be seeing Hane Kuriboh real soon girl."

'_Bii_?' She questioned.

"It's Juudai…you remember him? That crazy guy with a flying powder-puff of a duel spirit. A certain flying powder-puff named Hane Kuriboh? Well they've returned."

_Rubii_?

"You've guessed it. That's who we're on our way to see right now."

It was a good 15 minutes before Johan arrived at Asuka's flat. Panting, and shivering with cold, he rang the doorbell. A weeping, red-eyed Asuka opened the door.

"Come in, come in…quickly"

He entered the dark hallway of the flat, and glanced around. He had been to Asuka's house many times before, but he hadn't really seen most of it, only the living room.

"This way," she motioned for him to follow.

They entered the darkened living room.

"J-Juudai?" Asuka's voice broke the silence.

No-one moved. Then, from the corner of the room, came a voice. A voice Johan had longed to hear, but almost forgotten, for three years. But this voice sounded…empty…broken.

Hesitantly, Johan made his way to the direction of the voice. As he reached where the voice had come from, he reached towards the dark figure that stood, huddled in the corner. Johan's fingers came into contact with a soft fabric, but before his hand could move any further, it was slapped away.

"N-no…! Don't! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"

"J-Juudai!"

The figure stopped quivering and raised its head. Juudai's face was blank, and his eyes stared ahead, empty orbs- little more that a ghost of their previous warmth and colour. But the thing that scared Johan the most, the thing that made him fall to his knees, was Juudai's face. Twisted, burnt and scarred, the brown-haired duellist's mouth leered down at him, twisted into a sickening grin. He let out a small chuckle.

"Ha…how **nice** to see you again…Johan."

And then he lunged for the boy's throat.


	2. The Pavement Shines Like Silver

_**An update! Be excited!**_

**Chapter Two**: The Pavement Shines like Silver

_**Rating**_: M – For blood, violence, swearing and angst.

_**Pairing(s)**_: JohanXJuudai

_**Genre**_: Horror/Romance

_**Summary**_: Takes place in the aftermath of the ending of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX and the beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 5Ds. Juudai returns from his adventures around the world, but he's changed. When a broken, twisted shell of the brown-eyed duellist returns to Tokyo, and with nightmares and visions haunting him both awake and in sleep, his friends become concerned for both his and their mental sanity. Who, or more likely what, has damaged him, and what can Johan and Juudai's friends do to save him?

**Last Time**

_The figure stopped quivering and raised its head. Juudai's face was blank, and his eyes stared ahead, empty orbs- little more that a ghost of their previous warmth and colour. But the thing that scared Johan the most, the thing that made him fall to his knees, was Juudai's face. Twisted, burnt and scarred, the brown-haired duellist's mouth leered down at him, twisted into a sickening grin. He let out a small chuckle._

"_Ha…how __**nice**__ to see you again…Johan."_

_And then he lunged for the boy's throat_

Johan stared in shock at the frenzied brunette as he hurled himself at him. Juudai barrelled into him and sent him flying backwards. He heard the crash of breaking glass and Asuka's panicked scream. Painfully, he eased himself up onto one elbow, only to discover that Juudai was nowhere to be found, and Asuka was slumped in the doorway, seemingly dead to the world. After checking she was alright, he ran up the stairs, following them up and up until he burst out onto the roof. Frantically he scanned the roof top, and spotted Juudai, crouched on the top of the chain link fence. As quietly as he could, Johan made his way over to him. Despite his best efforts, although Johan was quite graceful in his movements, he lacked the capacity to be stealthy, and so, it was only a matter of time before this 'new' Juudai noticed his presence. Sensing him, Juudai turned. Johan braced himself for another bruising onslaught, but what he received was quite shocking. Juudai was crying. In all the time that Johan had known him, he had never seen Juudai cry. He had heard from Sho that he had cried at the Hell Kaiser's death, but that was mainly because he had finally realised that he, Juudai, was not truly evil. Seeing him weep like this, with such agonising, heart wrenching sobs, shattered Johan. He walked closer and looked up at him.

"It's okay…" he whispered.

Juudai started, and looked at him, tears streaming down his ruined face.

Johan held out his arms. "It's okay, I'll catch you"

It was a good half hour later when Johan returned, soaking wet, and carrying Juudai in his arms. Juudai had not needed much encouraging to return to him, and, after Johan caught him, had soaked his shirt further with his salty tears, whimpering that he was sorry. And Johan had comforted him. After he and Asuka had managed to settle the anxious brunette on the sofa in the main room, she had cleaned his injuries from their previous fight, and he had swept up the shattered remnants of the glass coffee table. Now, he sat next to Juudai, watching him sleep. Emotions he had bottled up inside him for so long threatened to spill over, and Johan felt like he wanted to punch, hug, scream at, kill and kiss him, all at the same time. He settled instead for crushing a couple of pillows. It was then he noticed that Juudai had woken, and was watching him curiously, like a child that sees a bird for the first time.

"Hey, you okay?" Johan whispered.

Juudai's eyes darted to his face and he nodded warily.

Johan smiled. "That's good, want anything to eat?"

The brunette nodded, and shrank back under the duvet. Johan stood, noting the glittering eyes that followed his every move. He grimaced slightly, and walked into the kitchen.

Asuka had long since departed for work, at a local school where, when she wasn't teaching at Duel Academia, taught children about duel spirits and friends. Rummaging through her freezer, he came across a pack of tempura shrimp.

_Odd, didn't think Asuka liked this kinda stuff._

He shrugged, and unwrapped the pack. 5 minutes later, he re-entered the living room to find Juudai sitting up and gazing sorrowfully at his reflection in a shard of glass.

"Juudai?"

Said boy jumped and turned warily.

Johan sighed. _Looks like he still doesn't trust me yet._

"Look!" he held the plate of shrimp up, and Juudai's face lit up slightly. The Gem-duellist grinned ecstatically back at him.

Silence stretched between the two. Johan sat next to Juudai, his legs tucked under him, staring at the white-washed walls. Presently, Juudai placed the now-empty plate on the carpet and shrugged off the duvet. Johan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and noticed the boy had a small smile on his face. It reminded Johan so much of years past, that tears sprang to his eyes and his throat constricted as he bit back tears. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Juudai looking at him, a look of concern settled across his features. Johan smiled warmly at him and tentatively placed his hand on top of the brunette's. Juudai went to pull back his hand but something nagged in the back of his mind, that perhaps it was better like this. Johan needed solid reassurance that he was actually there. He didn't understand this feeling, but it was Johan, and as far as Juudai was concerned, Johan was his lifeline that attached him to civilisation.

After what had happened with Goodwin and Divine—

He let out a pained whimper and wrenched his hand away. Johan looked up at him in surprise, but he couldn't bring himself to look in those searching emerald orbs.

_Piercing grey eyes that stared at him in contempt. Needles, scalpels-- NonononononoNO!!_

He didn't hear his name called out, neither did he hear strong arms wrap around him as he fell into the darkness.


	3. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hey, I know everyone hates these, but I think in this case it's necessary.

One of my friends has recently suffered a tragedy in her family. It has affected me pretty badly, so for this reason I will not be updating my stories for at least 2 months, possibly more.

I'm really sorry if you were looking forward to reading the new chapters, but at this point I just can't face writing. I'm sorry.

Yours,

XxJohanXJudaixX


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